Therapeutic Exercise - Essay Example

Therapeutic Exercise Introduction Progressive resistance exercise refers to a means through which increased forcecan be generated by the muscles. Progressive Resistance exercise is also normally known as strength exercise. It is a form of physical exercise, which specializes in using resistance, in order to, increase muscle contraction, which enhances the muscles with strength, endurance, and it also increases the muscle size. Progressive resistance exercise is normally an adaptive process in which the body normally adapts to the stress it is exposed to as a result of exercise.

Research suggests that, during progressive resistance exercise, the body is likely to adapt to stress increasing an individual’s fitness when the stress is above the threshold intensity (Adeyanju, Crews and Meadors 252).In order that progressive resistance exercise becomes effective, there are factors that are normally involved in enhancing the adaptation of the muscle to deconditioning and stress. The factors include; specificity, reversibility, overload and individual difference. It is evident that, during progressive resistance exercise, an increase in stress tends to cause the muscle to improve its function, and the muscles also adapt to the stress conditions.

It is evident that weight lifting, as a form of progressive resistance exercise, normally improves strength and enhances muscle hypertrophy. Casted leg atrophy normally results in response to the disuse of progressive resistance exercise (Baker and Newton 202).Progressive resistance raining stresses the body, therefore, improving its capacity to exercise. Progressive resistance exercise is normally beneficial to the body only if the body adapts to stress as a result of physical effort. It is evident that when the stress is less than body overload, adaptation never occurs.

(Dunstan, Puddey, and Beilin 53).Significant improvements in performance normally occur when the appropriate exercise stresses are introduced into an individual’s training program. Progressive resistance exercise is largely a reflection of the level of training. When an individual works hard, he is likely to be fit. However, when progressive resistance exercise ceases, fitness begins to decline (Fahey 50).Progressive resistance exercise can normally be used to correct disorders such as mechanical derangement of the knee joint; it is also normally of immense clinical importance.

The health benefits that are normally associated with progressive resistance exercise include; the reduction of the muscles ability to generate force, as a result of, pathology, injury or disuse. The inability of the muscle to generate force to enhance the performance of daily activities, normally calls for the use of progressive resistance exercise as a treatment program (Honkola, Forsen and Eriksson 245).This is consistent with the American college of sports medicine, which also advocates for the use of progressive resistance exercise in enhancing adaptation of the muscle to stress.

According to the American college of sports and medicine, progressive resistance exercise involves the application of strength specific programs such as concentric, eccentric, isometric muscle actions, and the use of bilateral, unilateral and multiple exercises of the joint, to enhance the adaptation of the muscles to stress (Mastropaolo 415). In conclusion, progressive resistance exercise is normally a valuable method in treating some clinical disorders and should be accompanied with physical therapy procedures.

It is, therefore, advisable that individual engaging in progressive resistance exercise should be persistent for a considerable length of time (Weiss, Suzuki and Bean 369).Works CitedAdeyanju K, Crews T.R, and Meadors W.J.: Effects of two speeds of sokinetic training on muscular strength, power and endurance. Journal of Sports Med. 23:352–6, 1983Baker D and Newton R U.: Acute effect on power output of alternating an agonist and antagonist muscle exercise during complex training. Journal of Strength Condition Response.

19:202–5, 2005Dunstan, D.W, Puddey, I.B, and Beilin, L.J, et al.: Effects of a short-term circuit weight training program on glycemic control in NIDDM. Diabetes Resistance Clinical Practical. 40:53–61, 1998Fahey, T.D. Basic Weight Training for Men and Women. Mt. View, CA: Mayfield Publishing, 1994Honkola A, Forsen T, and Eriksson J.: Resistance Training Improves The Metabolic Profile In Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes. Acta Diabetol. 34:245–248, 1997Mastropaolo, J.A. A Test of the Maximum-Power Theory for Strength.

Europe Journal of Applied Physiology, 65: 415-420, 1992Weiss, A. Suzuki, T, and Bean, J: Fielding RA. High intensity strength training improves strength and functional performance after stroke.79:369–376, 2000